Hear No Evil, See No Evil
by Meme-Ann
Summary: COMPLETE!Charlie's new girlfriend is everything he wants, the only problem is she's deaf. When a rival team learns of her handicap, she becomes the bait in their plot to get the Duck to throw the State Championship. Someone's bound to get hurt.
1. 1

~* I DON'T OWN THE DUCKS OR ANYTHING ELSE*~  
Kory Montel sat in the back seat of her father's SUV and watched as the radiant green leafs of Georgia slowly became the brilliant golds, cranberries and oranges of Fall in the North. They blanketed the sides of the highway like a brightly pigmented quilt. The scenery passed at such a speed that if one lost focus for just a second all they would see was a swirl of color.  
  
She and her family had moved many times through the course of her life, being a military brat she'd grown accustom to the frequent changes in homes. This however would be the first time they'd live anywhere farther North then Maryland. This time, the Montels were heading for Minnesota.  
Charlie Conway skated up the street with a line of loud and sweaty teens behind him. With one day left until the beginning of Senior year the Ducks had been out terrorizing the city and with the noon sun now high in the powder blue sky, he was leading the group back to his house for sandwiches and soda. Ever since Casey had married Charlie's stepfather and they'd moved into the middle class neighborhood, Charlie had been having the team over as much as possible, hoping the drive Marcus, his step dad, out of the house.  
  
"Hey Charlie, I didn't know you were getting new neighbors." Guy stated as they came to a stop in the captains driveway.  
  
"Neither did I." Charlie replied wiping his sweaty forehead with his sleeve. "Well, we better go offer to help them out."  
  
Hearing no objections he led his friends back out of the driveway and through the gate in the next door yard. He found a women with short blonde hair standing under the shade of a porch opening boxes franticly and assumed that she must have been the women of the house.  
  
"Excuse me?" He climbed the steps to the patio, leaving the rest of the Ducks on the grass below.  
  
"Yes?" The women looked up from her box.  
  
"Hi, I'm Charlie Conway, I live next door, anyway, I'm the Captain of the Mighty Ducks, I don't know if you've heard of us, either way, my team and I came over to see if you wanted any help bringing in boxes."  
  
"That's very sweet of you Charlie, we certainly could use the assistance, thank you."  
  
"No problem." Charlie cocked his head in the direction of the U-haul as a signal to the team to get to work.  
  
A half hour later Charlie carried the last tote into the house not having the foggiest idea where it was going. It read 'dad's den' on it but that didn't help as he hadn't had to bring anything in there yet. In the hallway he noticed a medium height girl with light brown hair, walking in the opposite direction, so he called out to her.  
  
"Excuse me?" No response "Hey, do you know where the den is?" Still no answer. Finally frustrated he charged up behind her and spun her around.  
  
The girl screamed, dropping the lamp she was carrying, it shattering on impact. The commotion caused a huge man in his early forties to come charging up from the basement, he was dressed in fatigue pants and his muscles looked to be bigger then Charlie's head.  
  
"What the hell did you do to my little girl?" The man barked.  
  
"You're little girl was ignoring me, I was just trying to find out where to put this." Charlie defended himself.  
  
"You little punk, she wasn't ignoring you, she didn't hear you, she's deaf!"  
LATER THE DAY  
The sun was now setting and Casey and Marcus had set up the grill for last barbeque to say goodbye to summer and welcome in the Autumn. They had invited the Ducks and the Montels over and while everyone else was mingling and having a good time, Charlie was sitting in the grass separated from the congregation.  
  
He felt awful for the ay he had acted at the Montels' that afternoon and couldn't stop thinking about how much of an ass he was. That was the type of thing that if he'd done when he was still seeing Linda, she would've given him the silent treatment for a week. Lucky for him she'd decided mid Sophomore year that dating wasn't for her, when she could spend all her free time saving the Whales or selling Girl Scout cookies.  
  
"I didn't know what you like on you burgers, but your mother asked me to bring this to you." A female voice said from the rear of him.  
  
"Thanks." As he turned to except the food he found a pair of deep set greenish blue eyes staring down at him.  
  
"You're welcome. Would you like a soda?" The girl handed him a can of Coke.  
  
"Thanks again."  
  
"You're welcome again."  
  
"Wait a minute, I thought you were deaf." Charlie said with a smile as the girl lowered herself to the ground beside him.  
  
"I am, well 70% anyway, I can't hear you if you're more then a foot away, but I can read lips. I'm Kory." She extended her hand.  
  
"Charlie, nice to meet you." The boy looked her over and tossed some thoughts around in his head. He found her cute, but not as cute as most of the girls at Eden Hall. The school was full of gorgeous girls, perfect girls, in fact Charlie was actually starting to get sick of the Mary Sue student body. "Where are you from?"  
  
"I was born on Pearl Harbor actually, but most recently we live in Georgia. I miss it a lot, all my friends were there, we lived there six years. But I guess I'll get use to it here, like I did everywhere else. But honestly if daddy told me tomorrow we were going back, I'd pack the house myself. Oh speaking of my dad, I' sorry about how he acted, he's really overprotective."  
"It's okay, I should be apologizing for how I acted, I was totally rude."  
  
"Don't worry about it, you're not the first to do something like that, I'm use to it." She bumped his shoulder lightly.  
  
"So where are you going to school?" He asked washing a bit of his burger down with a long swig of soda.  
  
"My parents pulled some strings and got me into Eden Hall, your mom said that you and your friends go there too, is it nice?"  
  
"Not really, most of the people are really jerks. I wouldn't have lasted this long without the hockey team."  
  
"Oh, well at least I'll know you."  
  
"True, so do you wanna go meet the rest of the Ducks, before they leave? I'll do the formal introductions."  
  
"Sure."  
  
By the end of the night Kory had been introduced around and couldn't wait to start school in the morning. Even if she was home sick. 


	2. 2

The alarm on the night table by Charlie's bed woke him with a sound that should've been saved only for a nuclear warning. His head shot up and the bright morning sun started an assault on his tired eyes. If he'd stayed in the dorms the night before like the rest of the team, he could've gotten another hour of sleep, but Casey had made him promise to sleep at home, she wanted to see him before he started his Senior year.  
  
Charlie walked to his dresser and pulled a new pair of jeans from the bottom draw, then opened the top and yanked out his team USA jersey, the rest of the team had bet he couldn't start a year without wearing his peewee's jersey, he wanted to prove them wrong. He climbed into a steaming stream of shower water and washed away the layers of dirt and sweat he'd collected the day prior. Afterward he stood in front of the bathroom mirror running his fingers over the three day beard that was covering his chin, the razor sat on the sink waiting to be picked up. Charlie being Charlie however, he shook his head, rubbed his face one more time and exited the room still prickly.   
  
"Morning Mom." He kissed his mother's cheek and picked a Hershey bar out of the bowl on the dining room table.  
  
"Charlie have a real breakfast, would you like me to make you an omelet or something sweetie?" Casey asked sipping her coffee.  
  
"No thanks mom, you serve people all day." He opened the cabinet and pulled out a bag of salt and vinegar chips. "Besides, I've gotta go, gotta meet the team before assembly, call ya later."  
  
Charlie tossed his potato chips on the passenger seat of his 87 Buick and rolled down the drivers side window, he was just about to start the car and roll out of the driveway when he got an idea. He popped out of his car and sprinted over to the Montels' front door. He didn't know why, but he knocked anyway.  
  
Kory's mother opened it, dressed like June Cleaver and holding a plate stacked high with pancakes, Charlie thought he'd wandered into a Leave It to Beaver rerun, or at least fell into the Twilight Zone.  
  
"Charlie, good morning." She smiled. "What can I do for you?"  
  
"I, uh, I came over to see if Kory needed a ride to school." He answered.  
  
"Well her father was planning on taking her in, but it would be a lot easier to have you do it, thank you. Would you like to come in, I've got pancakes?"  
  
"No, thanks, I've got breakfast in the car."  
  
"Alright, I'll go get Kory then."  
  
Charlie paced the front stoop waiting for Kory, he had wanted to give her a lift but he didn't want to be late, or miss meeting up with his friends. Then the door swung open and Kory stepped out with a violin case in one arm and a backpack in the other. She was dressed in tan suede skirt and denim top and her hair was pulled back in a butterfly clip, she looked flawless for her first day at Eden Hall.  
  
"Hi Charlie, thanks for the ride, my Daddy would've embarrassed me so much." She grinned.  
  
"You need a hand?" Charlie took the violin case from her  
  
The two went over to his car and Charlie, opened the door for her and she started to sit. Only to late for Charlie's warning  
"Watch out from my… CRUNCH… chips."  
  
"I'm sorry Charlie." She flushed.  
  
"It's no biggie." He replied getting into the car and reversing out onto the street.  
  
They road in silence for the first fifteen minutes, Kory again watching the colorful leafs as they danced in the winds outside of the car.  
  
"Soooo, you play the violin?" Charlie tried to break the noiselessness. Yet there was no response, the he remember she read lips and tapped her shoulder gently.  
  
Kory turned quickly to look at him.  
"Hmm?"   
  
"You play the violin," The hockey player gestured to the case in his backseat. "how do you do that?"  
  
"Because I'm deaf?"  
  
"Well… yeah."  
  
"Beethoven, played the piano, composed and conducted and he was totally deaf by the end of his career."  
  
"Good point." Charlie nodded, he liked that. A smart girl that wasn't snobby about the things she knew, basically not Linda.  
  
Kory drummed her fingers on her knee, thinking of something to ask him.   
"Are you a dorm kid?" She finally came up with.  
  
"Yeah, we all are, the whole team. Are you?" The boy flipped on his blinker and turned into the hockey players parking lot. The particular lot was reserved for the team because it was the closest to the rink, Charlie being the Captain got front row.  
  
"I wish, unfortunately my parents won't go for it. I begged almost the entire ride here. They refuse to leave me unattended for that long, I'll be eighteen in four months and they still won't let me be alone."   
  
"What if I could swear you'll never be alone?" The boy asked, an idea coming into his head.  
  
"How?" Curiosity played across Kory's subtle features.  
  
"I've got two friends, girls on the Ducks, Connie and Julie…"  
  
"I met them yesterday."  
  
"Right, well they share a room at the dorms, if we could get the rooming association to allow it, we could probably get you in there with them. There's only one time they're both gone and that's when there's something for the team to be done. But then you can come to the rink with us."  
  
"That's an interesting idea Charlie, but perhaps we should run the idea by them first."  
Charlie led Kory around the campus, showing her all the important things, that no one had been kind enough to point out to him on his first day, then brought her to the auditorium to join the group.  
  
"Hey guys." He called as they came up the stairs and found the Ducks waiting on the landing for him. "You remember Kory right?"  
  
"I do." Portman smirked "nice to see you again babe."  
  
Kory didn't take to kindly to that, she may not have heard what he said, but she knew a chauvinistic remark when one was made. So she reached up and grabbed the chest of Dean's tee-shirt and pulled him down so they were nose to nose.  
"My father is a retired Marine, I know six different ways to kill a man with my bare hands, don't make me demonstrate on you."  
  
The rest of the team broke into a fit of laughter and Connie added.  
"You are so cool."  
  
"Totally, come on sit with us." Julie tossed an arm around Kory's shoulder and brought her in to find a seat, everyone else falling close behind. 


	3. 3

The Ducks sit at their normal three tables in the back of Mickey's, cracking jokes, throwing food and other wise misbehaving. Kory smiled and sipped her lemonade, they certainly seemed like a great bunch of kids. So accepting of this new girl that had just waltzed into their lives the day before. She twirled her straw and laughed, forgetting for just a few minutes that she was different from everyone else.   
  
"So Kory, do you think if we all go talk to your parents, they'll let you move in with us?" Connie queried, feeding Guy an onion ring.  
  
"It's worth a shot, but I wouldn't count on it." Kory sighed. "My parents, especially my dad, think just because I'm deaf I'm helpless. I'm surprised they don't try to cut my meat for me still."  
  
"A sweet little thing like you, someone's got to look out for you." Portman snorted. "Ouch!" He yelped suddenly.  
  
Fulton knit his eyebrows at his best friend.  
"What's the matter dude?"   
  
"She kicked me." Portman pointed accusingly at Kory, who just smirked.  
  
"Excuse me, where's the lady's room?" Kory spoke up.  
  
"I'll show you." Julie shoved Luis hard and he fell flat on his butt, she slid out of the booth, stepped over him and led Kory to the bathroom.  
  
Charlie watched as the two girls walked away from the table, happy that Kory was fitting in so well. He really wanted to make her feel at home in Minnesota. Being in a new place surrounded by new people can be hard enough, but doing it in Senior year, when all the cliques have been formed must have been the worst. Plus, he personally thought she was unbelievable. Her strength both physical and mental impressed him, he knew he'd never be able to deal with being hearing impaired the way she had. Kory was inspirational.  
  
"Well, well, well, look what we found here. It's a whole flock of ducklings." A rude, snide voice declared.  
  
The Ducks lifted their heads to see a handful of guys dressed in purple and orange lettermen's jackets. The Aspire preparatory Pirates, led by their captain Ethan Marlow. A thick necked, small brained, exchange student that had had his pride broken the past three years in a row, when his team lost to the Ducks in the State Finals.  
  
Russ crumbled the wrapper to his straw and tossed it casually at the other team's leader.  
"What are you doing here Ethan, didn't you read the sigh on the door 'No Shoes, No Shirt, No Brain, No Service'?"  
  
"Maybe someone should read it to you." Guy suggested.  
  
"Come up guys, you've gotta give him some credit, he figured out you have to pull the door to get it open." Julie's voice rang out as she walked back with Kory into toe.  
  
"And who is this cutie?" Tim Daily eyed Kory, from beside his captain.  
  
"Her name's Kory, she's Charlie neighbor." Banks answered quietly, he wasn't one for confrontation (the exception of his fist fight with Charlie freshmen year) and could tell there was going to be another.  
  
"So are you new around here Kory?" Tim questioned with a ridiculous grin.  
  
Kory nodded.  
"Yeah, brand new."   
  
"I'd love you show you around sometime, I'd love to show you a lot of things." Ethan winked at her.  
  
"We'll have to get together sometime." She extended her hand, however when Ethan took it to shake, she grabbed his wrist and twisted it behind his back.  
  
"Oh right, did we forget to mention her violent tendencies?" Averman spoke up.  
  
The entire Pirates' starting line up went wide eyed. Their Captain was huge, he'd never been man handled by anyone, let alone a girl.  
  
"How'd you do that?" One of the Pirates asked.  
  
"When you can't hear, you have to learn how to protect yourself. Now my friends and I were enjoying an afternoon snack and I wouldn't recommend coming between me and food. So unless you wanna see the proper way to kill a man by breaking his nose, I suggest you leave."  
  
The opposing team walked over to a group of other tables and Kory sat back down beside Charlie.  
  
"Kory, have you ever considered playing hockey?" Connie inquired "I'd love to have another girl out on the ice with me, Jules is always stuck in the net."  
  
"Sorry Connie, I don't even know how to skate. So, are we going to talk to my parents or what?" Kory clapped her hands with excitement.  
  
The Ducks all looked at each other and smiled.  
"Let's do it."  
  
A caravan of cars parked across the Conway's lawn and anxious teens hopped out. They all followed Kory into her house timidly, knowing if she was that scary, her father must be down right bone chilling.  
  
They didn't say a word through most of the conversation, just sat scattered on the living room floor as Kory pleaded her case. However when their fearless leader opened his mouth, they all jumped in. The debate lasted two hours, the Montels not willing to budge and Kory not about just to let the idea fall dead.   
  
Finally she stood up, put her hands on her hips and said.  
"Look, I'll be eighteen in December, if you don't let me move into the dorms now, I'll do on my birthday. But if that's how it has to be, don't be waiting for me to com visit. If you don't let me live my life now, you won't be a part of it later. I'm seventeen years old, I'm responsible, I'm intelligent, I know how to take care of myself and even if it comes to needing help I'll have thirteen friends if I need them. Some of the Ducks have been living in the dorms since they were fourteen. Why won't you just trust me?"  
  
By the end of the night, Kory was packing and Connie and Julie were making space in their room. 


	4. 4

"Kory, did you want the top bunk, the bottom bunk or the single bed?" Connie asked looking at the bunk bed and extra bed that had been put in their room by the custodial staff that morning.  
  
"Um, I'll take the separate bed I guess." Kory replied taking some pictures out of a box and lining them up on her bureau. "I'm a tosser so I can't really share a bed."  
  
"That's fine. Jules you've got the top."   
  
"Damn Kory, what the do you have in here, rocks?" Portman grunted as he set down a box, that took both he and Fulton to carry up the stairs.  
  
Fulton stood up and rubbed the small of his back.  
"No kidding dude. I've lifted couches lighter then this Kor."  
  
Kory looked at the tote the boys had just put down as Banks walked in with a duffel bag hanging from his shoulder.  
"I think my trophies are in there."  
  
"Trophies, for what?" Julie queried.  
  
Kory smiled and opened the tote.  
"Some are from band competitions and the others are from dancing contests."  
  
"Cool what kind of dancing?" Connie questioned.  
  
"Swing, I'm a huge fan of the thirties and forties, so I took swing dancing lessons."  
  
"Wow, swing dancing that's not very common for kids our age."  
  
"Why, do none of you guys know how?"  
  
Julie looked up from putting her sheets on her bed.  
"I think Banks can, but he's a prep."  
  
"Hey Kory." Kenny wrapped on the door and stuck his head inside, Portman tapping her on the shoulder on his way out of the room and directing her to look at Ken. "Charlie needs you out on the quad, he doesn't want to carry up your porcelain doll, in case he drops it."  
  
"Be right down." She told him and followed all three Bash Brothers out.  
  
As she walked down the stairs in front of the dorms, she noticed Charlie standing on the grass with his arms folded and squinting in the sun. As she stood at the bottom of the steps watching him, she saw a dark haired girl walk up swiftly behind him. The girl covered his eyes with her hands and kissed his cheek lightly. Kory was too far away to hear them, even if she wasn't deaf, but luckily she could read their lips from where she was.  
  
"Guess who?" The girl squeaked.  
  
Charlie sighed and reached up for the girl's wrist and pulled her around to the front of him.  
"Linda, what are you doing?"  
  
"I didn't get to see you yesterday with first day chaos and today was almost as bad. Besides I missed you this summer, you never even called."  
  
"Linda, remember that night at the end of Junior year, when I told you I was sick of your tree hugging hippy crap and you said I was an ignorant jock that wouldn't know caring if it bit me in the ass?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Then I told you I didn't want to see you anymore?"  
  
"Oh but Charlie, we say things like that all the time."  
  
Charlie shook his head.  
"No we don't because this time I was serious."  
  
"Come on Charlie you don't mean that." Lind wined.  
  
Kory could tell from the expression on her new friend's face that Charlie was not happy and that Linda was annoying him. So she sauntered across the lawn, walked right up to Charlie, and promptly slapped him across the face.  
  
"You said you were just coming out to get some fresh air!" She screeched in false anger.  
  
"Huh?" The hockey captain looked confused.  
  
"You told me you just wanted to take a walk, and here I find you with this girl."  
  
"Oh, oh, uh, Kory honey it's not what it looks like." The boy caught on. "This is my ex girlfriend Linda."  
  
"Is that suppose to make me feel better? Wait, Linda, the one you called a tree hugging hippy?" Kory recited what she'd seen him say to his ex prior.  
  
"Yeah, there's nothing to worry about, we're over, me and her."  
  
Kory nodded and touched Charlie's face, pulling his head down and giving him a sensual kiss, causing Linda to storm off in a jealous huff.  
  
"Thanks." Charlie grinned, stepping back.  
  
"You're welcome, plus it was worth it, you're quite the kisser, but don't let that go to your head, I'm not interested." Kory responded.  
  
"After we finish moving your stuff in what do you say I take you to the Senior Café for a soda?"  
  
"Deal."  
  
After all her things were put in their places and the girls room was in less of a disarray the group went over to the café. Charlie paid for Kory, who in turn bought rounds of drinks for everyone else as a thank you for their help in her move. It was while they were sitting around acting like fools, that the jukebox in the corner began to play a single by Brian Setzer.  
  
"Oh my god, you've got to show us a swing dance Kory." Connie squealed.  
  
"I didn't know you could swing dance." Goldberg, looked over his milk shake at her.  
  
"Yup, I'm pretty good, if I may say so." The girl affirmed.  
  
"Is there anything you can't do?" Charlie smirked, amazed.  
  
"Yeah, hear." She retorted hopping out of her seat. "Banks you can swing right?"  
  
Adam nodded and his eyes filled with fear at the look in hers.  
"No way."  
  
"Yes way. Now you're going to dance with me one way or another. I'd prefer not to have to beat you up first."  
  
Banksie got up reluctantly, but after seeing that neither Ethan nor Portman scared her and that she caused them both physical pain, he decided not to argue much. He flipped and tossed, swung and spun, Kory over the entire dance floor. He had to admit it was fun and Kory was an excellent partner.  
  
As the rest of the Ducks watched on with excitement, their leader was beginning to get jealous. A trait that was common to Charlie, one that most of his friends had grown accustomed to, his anger being something that was unavoidable. When the tow returned panting from their exercise, to the cushy chairs that lined the café, Charlie called Banks to follow him, over to a corner of the room. When they were out of ear shot of everyone, he started in on Adam.  
  
"You looked like you were having a good time."  
  
"I was, she's a great dancer." Banks replied. "Oh no, I know where you're going with this Charlie. Look I'm not moving in on your girl."  
  
"That's sure how it looked."  
  
"Well it shouldn't have because that's what it looked like."  
  
Kory, who had been watching from the opposite side of the room, had deciphered everything that was being said and stormed over to the boys, fist clenched.  
  
"I'm not you're girl Charlie." She spat shoving him against the wall. "Yeah I like you and all, but I don't even really know you. And if you want to get to know me, I suggest you cut out this chauvinistic shit, because I won't deal with it." And with that she took off, leaving the Ducks to figure out what was going on. 


	5. 5

Kory was in the student gym beating the hell out of a punching bag when a shadow fell on the floor in front of her. Not being able to hear had heightened her other sense, making her more aware of her surroundings. As the shadow grew closer, she pinpointed the exact time the person would be close enough to her, then spun around sweeping his leg and sending him to the floor. The sickening thud of the person's skull connecting with the tile having no effect on her.  
  
"What the hell do you want?" Her nose crinkled when she saw the face of the person sprawled on the ground.  
  
Charlie pushed himself up off the floor and dusted some dirt off the seat of his pants.  
"Just wanted to talk."  
  
Kory rolled her eyes and continued her assault on the punching bag, as Charlie walked around to stand where she could see his lips.  
"What did that poor bag ever do to you?"  
  
"Called me it's girl." She retorted, Tornado kicking it.  
  
"You're still pissed off about that?"  
  
"Yeah. Look Charlie, I'm not the type of girl that goes for that possessive thing okay? I have my own mind, my own life and I will not be treated like a belonging, especially not by someone that doesn't even know me."  
  
Kory stopped manhandling the punching bag and crossed the gym, picking up a towel from on top of her duffel bag and wiping the sweat from her face. Then she tossed the towel around her neck and tightened her ponytail. She shook her head when she noticed the boy still following her.  
"You're just so use to having your way, you won't stop till you get it will you?"  
  
Charlie nodded and sped up to fall into step with her.  
"So you might as well just talk to me."  
  
"Fine, what do you just have to talk to me about so badly?" Kory grudgingly gave in, sitting down on the weight bench.  
  
There was a strange tension between them, it was mixture of the awkwardness you feel when you're alone with someone you don't really know, sexual attraction and the animosity Kory was harboring toward him. Neither said anything for a long minute. Charlie drummed his fingers on the weight bench and Kory chewed on her nails. Finally Charlie opened his mouth.  
  
"You keep saying I barley know you, so why don't you tell me something about you?"  
  
"Don't you think this is an odd place to have a heart to heart?" Kory rolled her eyes.  
  
"You're right, get changed and meet me in lobby in an hour." And Charlie sprinted off.  
  
When the time came Kory was waiting in the lobby for Charlie, having no idea why she went. But in truth, she was slightly interested in learning some deep secrets of life of head Duck as well, other then his obvious hockey fetish, the boy seemed to be cloaked in mystery. She was tapping her foot rhythmically on the floor, when she felt a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"You ready?" Charlie gestured to the door.  
  
Kory nodded and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in her black flares. Charlie pulled his keys from his back pocket, tossed them up in the air and caught them just before they hit Kory in the head. He laughed, she flashed him a frustrated glare. The immaturity of the boy was beyond compare and didn't couple well with his evident control issues. In a million years she would have never pictured herself spending time with such a deluded piece of humanity, yet she couldn't seem to turn him down.  
  
Charlie drove the Buick, to piece of land in the middle of no where. It was surrounded by trees but in the center was a clearing. The spot was peaceful the perfect place for two people to go to away from the world and get to know each other.  
  
"You're not going to kill me and leave my body out here are?" Kory asked only half kidding.  
  
"Hadn't planned on it, but we'll see." He led her in the direction of a fallen log and instructed her to sit. "This is where I come when I need to think."  
  
"Thinking, do that often to you?" Kory tried to sound surprised.  
  
"Funny, real funny." Charlie groaned lighting a fire in a small pit in fornt of them.  
  
"I try."  
  
"You wanted a more intimate setting, here we are, so spill."  
  
The Kory sighed, not knowing where to begin. Telling people things like her love of the violin and dancing is one thing, completely opening up to them was another.  
"Hmmm... let's see. Well my middle name is Diana, my best friend Holly use to call me Katie, instead of KD cuz she was wierd like that. I was born on November 29th, I have one older sibling named Nathan, you'll probably never meet him though because he's in the Air Force Academy. My favorite color is red, I love pizza and John Wayne movies, and before I lost my hearing I listened to alot of rock music."  
  
"You're kidding me?" Charlie's jaw dropped. "Pizza, John Wayne and rock are like my favorite things after hockey."  
  
"Nifty." The girl smiled.  
  
Then the hockey player realized she had said 'Before I lost my hearing' meaning, she hadn't always been deaf.  
"Wait... before you lost your hearing. What happened, where'd it go?"  
  
"It's sort of a stupid story really, when I was eleven I snuck out of the house at night and went over to the base pool. It was late so there was no lifegaurd on duty and it was locked so I climbed the fence. I don't remember how I wound up at the bottom of the pool, or even who pulled me out of the water. Nobody has any idea how long i was submerged, but when I regained consciousness I couldn't hear."  
  
"Wow..." Charlie looked at her awed. "That makes what I had planned to tell you seem lame."  
  
"Come on, I told you mine, now you tell me yours."  
  
Charlie went into discription of all the things that he held dear to him, hockey, his friends, his mom and coach Bombay. Not one detail was spared, he even made sure to mention how Gordon was suppose to hook up with his mother but hadn't. By the end of the night the two teens knew nearly everything about eachother. And Kory was getting use to his pigheadedness, there was hope there for romance. 


	6. 6

Charlie had a bit of a spring in his step as he walked down the hall of the girls' dorms. He was wearing his best flannel shirt and a pair designer jeans he borrowed from Banks and he'd even splashed on some after shave for good measure. The Ducks captain was about to ask Kory out on their first official date and he wanted everything to go smoothly. Looking his best certainly couldn't hurt. Plus he'd practiced the speech he was going to give her ten times to the mirror before he left. It got to the point that Guy told him if he didn't just go ask her, he'd do it for him.  
  
So Conway stopped at the girls' door and straightened his shirt one last time before knocking. When the door popped open a perky looking Connie stood at the other side with headphones on and a CD player in her hand.  
  
"Hey Charlie, what's up?" The girl stepped back into the room, letting her captain follow her in.  
  
"I'm looking for Kory, is she here?" Charlie asked looking around the room.  
  
"Do you see her? Nah, she's in the gym with Kenny, trying to teach Averman, Dwayne and Julie some martial arts."  
  
"You're kidding me…"  
  
"Nope, Averman and Dwayne thought it would make em more agile, Jules is just violent. You wanna go down and get her, I'll come with ya." Connie volunteered.  
  
Charlie just shook his head and went toward the exit.  
"I guess I'll just see her at dinner."  
  
"Okey dokey, I'll let her know you came by."  
  
"Thanks Con, see ya later."  
  
Just as Charlie was about to turn the knob the door swung on its hinges, opening wide. Kory bounced in with her usual burst of enthusiasm, dripping with sweat, smelling pretty fowl and definitely not looking her best.  
  
"Hey Charlie." She put her hands on the boy's hips and pushed past him in the doorway. "Are you looking for me?"  
  
Instantly the speech Charlie had worked so hard on slipped from his mind. It had easy to pull off when talking to his own reflection, but some how getting it out while face to face with the girl wasn't as simple. Even in her less then attractive state, Charlie was choking. Kory perched on her bed, swigging down some water from the bottle in her hand.  
  
"When did you become one of the strong silent type Conway?" Connie laughed turning off her walkman.  
  
Kory nodded.  
"Yeah Charlie, I asked you a question, are you looking for me or not?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, I wanted to ask you if you'd like to grab a bite with me tonight?" Charlie finally found the words.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't." Kory replied softly.  
  
"Oh, it's okay."  
  
"I've got an audition for the first chair violin in the band, in about an hour. Could we do something after that?"  
  
A smile found its way back onto the captain's face as started running through the list of possible date spots in his mind. His ego also began to reinflate slightly when the realization that he wasn't rejected set in. It was great, he wasn't sure where he'd take her, since it would be to late for supper, but at least he'd gotten the date.  
  
"Um, yeah, that's fine. What time do you wanna meet?" The boy questioned with a relieved grin.  
  
"Well, if you just want to hang out here for a few minutes, I'll go take a shower real quick and you can come to the audition with me. Then we can just set out from there." Kory suggested walking over to her cedar chest and pulling out her shower bag.  
  
"Sure, actually I'm just gonna run back to my room for a minute, I'll meet you in front of the auditorium in a bit. Don't go in without me."  
  
"Alright, see you in a bit."  
  
Charlie ran back to his room and flew through his dorm. Banks looked up from the sketch he was doodling on the cover of his math book and raised his light eyebrows.  
  
"Where's the fire Spazway?" He goofed, pencil still posed over the book cover.  
  
The other boy just sighed.  
"Close your eyes Banksie, I've gotta get something outa my secret stash."  
  
"You mean the molded old shoebox you've got hidden on the top shelf of the closet?"  
  
"Just close your eyes Cake-Eater." Charlie groaned.  
  
"Yes sir Captain sir." Adam sarcastically saluted and went back to his drawing.  
  
Charlie crept to the closet and closed the door behind him. He pulled the chain on the light and it turned on with a jingle. In the very back of the top shelf, just as Banks had said, sat a moldy old shoebox, duct taped together, with the words 'Charlie's Don't Touch' written all over it. He pulled it down and gently removed the lid, trying to avoid tearing the top. Inside was a small piece of dingy white fabric he was going to give Kory as a good luck charm.  
  
Everyone knew that Charlie wore the same underwear during the peewee's playoffs almost seven years before, he told almost anyone that would listen. What most people didn't know, something he kept secret to keep from disgusting everybody, was that he'd cut a tiny square off of those underwear and kept it. He had it with him at the Good Will Games and just about every other big game he'd ever played in. That little bit of fabric had beaten the Hawks, the Icelanders, the varsity and won two state championships, all while residing stuffed inside of his skate. His biggest problem was keeping Kory from noticing the gross stench. After giving it a quick shot from one of the sixty cologne bottles on Guy's bureau, he set out.  
  
In front of the double doors leading to the auditorium, Kory sat on the floor with her eyes shut and her arm out as if she were holding her violin. Though her hands were empty and her violin sat safely in the case, she continued to draw her right hand back and forth like her was playing. It was a ritual she preformed prior to playing, every time their was going to be someone to hear her. It distracted her and tested to see if she remembered the notes without looking at the sheet music.  
  
The girl was so out of it, that when she opened her eyes to see Charlie kneeling in front of her and nose to nose with her, she screamed.  
"Jesus Charlie, don't sneak up on me."  
  
"How was I going to not? You had your eyes shut and even if I stumped, you wouldn't have heard me." He extended his hand and hauled her to her feet.  
  
"Good point." Kory smiled and dusted the back of her black pants.   
  
When she straightened up and stood erected for a split second, Charlie got a quick look at how she was dressed. How was dressed nearly knocked him over, the top of her sandy colored hair was pulled back in a butterfly clip with a few stray wisps framing her face, she was wearing thigh fitting black pants, a red tube top and a short black leather trench coat. The hockey player again forgot what he had rehearsed, from sweat soaked in shorts and a tank, to beautifully put together and sophisticated, he couldn't decide which he liked more.  
  
"Any who, it's almost time for my audition, wish me luck."  
  
Abruptly Conway remembered what he wanted to say.  
"Wait, Kory here, take this." He slipped the shred of cloth into her hand  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"It's for luck, just don't ask where I got."  
  
"I won't, thanks Charlie." With a swift hug Kory vanished behind the double doors.  
  
After a few minutes of impatient pacing in front of the door, Charlie was beginning to get restless. With a quite shove he pushed them open and snuck into the back of the room. The band director Mr. Taylor, dean Buckley and Ms. Delaney were all seated in the front row, with attentive ears and on the stage with their violins ready were Kory and Sonya Rhodes. Sonya Rhodes was a concert trained violinist and the daughter of a Julliard instructor, she also had been the first chair every year since she arrived at Eden Hall.  
  
The audition began with Sonya, Kory had to admit the girl was good. She played Beethoven's second symphony in b minor and Kory was intimated. When it came time for her turn Kory knew there was no way she could get the spot if played the song she'd planned. So when her time came, she presented a work in progress she was writing. It show cased her ability and awed the judges. At the end Sonya Rhodes had lost the position she'd held since her freshmen year.  
  
"I did it!" Kory yelled racing up the aisle and vaulting into Charlie's arms.  
  
Charlie picked the girl up off her feet and spun her around.  
"Congratulations, see now we really need to go out. Come on congratulatory dessert is on me."  
  
"Yay." Kory wiggled from his arms and grabbed his hand. "Come on, I'm starved."  
  
"Lead the way, you know where I park." Charlie laughed picking up her violin case.  
  
Halfway out of the room they were cut off by Sonya. Her face was sour grapes and her eyes were flaming.  
"I know you don't hear very well, so I'm going to make myself very clear. You better watch your back, no one humiliates and gets away with it. Keep that in your handicapped little mind."  
  
Kory flinched as if she'd been slapped in the face. In all the schools she'd gone to with her father in the Marines, no one had ever spoken to her like that. Even at Eden Hall, a school with a reputation of having rude and snobbish students, nobody had insulted her like that. She was at a loss for words. As she allowed Charlie to leaned her out to the parking lot she chewed agitated on the inside of her cheek. Her vision blurred with unshed tears. She knew if she opened her mouth she let out a painful whimper, but was to strong for that.  
  
"Are you going to talk to me?" Charlie asked as he pulled in his chair.  
  
"Why wouldn't I?" Kory replied blandly from across the table.  
  
"You didn't say anything to me the whole ride."  
  
"Yeah… I guess I just didn't feel like conversation." She shrugged.  
  
The boy folded the menu closed and reached over the table for her hand.  
"I know just what to make you feel better." He whispered something to the waiter, making sure to use the menu to block his mouth, so the girl couldn't read his lips.  
  
A few minutes later a mammoth chunk of chocolate, peanut, cheesecake arrived at the table. The hot fudge topping was running down the sides in a decadently gooey mess. The two could almost taste the mind numbingly delicious dessert as it sat center court on the table.  
  
"Go ahead, try it." Charlie slid her a fork. "It's practically orgasmic."  
  
Kory slid the fork into her mouth, closing her eyes when it touched her taste buds. She draw it out slowly, suddenly her eyes popped open and she moaned.  
"Oh my god, that was positively sinful."  
  
"I told you it would make you feel better."  
  
"It did, this is fantastic." She took another bite.  
  
"I knew you'd like it. So what are you up to tomorrow?"  
  
"Ken and I have another lesson with Averman, Jules and Dwayne."  
  
Charlie nodded.  
"You're a regular Bruce Lee aren't ya?"  
  
"Nah it's just fun, I'm not really that good." Kory conceded.  
  
"That's hard to believe, you're good at everything."  
  
"You make me sound like such a Mary Sue."  
  
"Mary Sue?"  
  
"Little Ms. Perfect, but seriously you should see Julie attack the punching bag. The girls' got some server aggression."  
  
"I know, you once got taking out of a game for intent to injure."  
  
The two continued talking while the polished off the last of the cheesecake and even longer afterward. As Charlie walked to her to her door, squeezing her hand and carrying her violin, he realized something. In the month they'd known each other he'd fallen completely for her. At first it was just a strong friendship, then an intense crush and at that moment he came to the conclusion he wanted to be more then just friends with the neighbors daughter.  
  
"That's was fun Charlie, I had a really good time." Kory grinned tapping in the code to open the door to get into the girls' dorms after dark.  
  
"Me too. I think we should do it again some time." Charlie stood on the steps outside of the dorm.  
  
"We should."  
  
"I want to kiss you." The boy declared out of the blue.  
  
"You should."  
  
They shared an awkward, strained first kiss. The kind that made you giggle after it were over. But you know it can only get better the second time.  
  
"I'll meet you in the quad for breakfast tomorrow?" Charlie kissed her cheek one last time.  
  
"Sure, see you in the morning." The sandy haired beauty started to back up into the building, halfway up she blew Charlie a kiss and then raced up the stairs to her floor. 


	7. 7

Charlie and Kory walked some watt achy up the stairs from Kory's basement. They'd had another unpleasant run in the some of the guys from the Pirates that day and unfortunately they'd been alone. A few of the guys had managed to keep Kory at bay while Ethan and Tim shoved Charlie around a bit and poured a milk shake down his pants. The worst of it though was the fact the Aspire boys had , had their hands all over Kory and she had the bruises on her chest and butt to prove it. It had been utterly humiliating to the Duck's Captain, especially the fact he'd been unable to protect his girlfriend. But Kory got the last laugh, after the four goons that were holding her back let her go she shattered Ethan's nose.  
  
After a half hour of nagging Kory agreed to show his some basic self defense moves. They ran back to the dorms and changed into some work out closed and then set off to Kory's father's home gym, known as the torture chamber. There was exercise equipment down there that looked more like medieval punishment devices. As they emerged from the cellar for a drink they were both drenched with sweat.  
  
"What do you want to drink? We've got soda, milk, mineral water and juice boxes..." Kory opened the refrigerator and looked over at Charlie as he hopped up on the counter.   
  
The boy smiled impishly as the look she was giving him for sitting on the counter, lucky for him 'Major Dad' as Charlie had taken to calling his girlfriend's father and Mrs. Montel weren't home.  
  
"Juice box sounds good."  
  
Kory smiled and tossed him the juice box, giggling as he struggled to get it open. She walked closer to him and he spread his legs so she could stand between his knees. The girl took the juice from the boy's hand and inserted the straw with expert precision. Taking it back Charlie in turn squeezed the box to hard and squirted sticky purple liquid all over himself and Kory.  
  
"Tasty." Charlie moaned sucking a droplet of juice from Kory's neck.  
  
Kory laughed pushing back from him to get some paper towels.  
  
"You did that on purpose." She put her hands on her hips good naturedly.  
  
"You bet your ass I did. Grape juice, sweat and your skin great combo."  
  
"Keeping in mind that I could kick your butt if I didn't want to be sucked on?"  
  
Charlie rolled his eyes and got down from the counter with a scowl.  
  
"Are you going to remind me of that constantly?" He snapped.  
  
Kory bit her bottom lip, she could tell form the expression on the boy's face he was angry. And it was pretty obvious it was because of something she'd said, even it was unintentional. She hadn't meant to offend his, she had only been joking. Still she knew Charlie liked to be in control and in situations like the on they'd been in that afternoon made him feel less macho. Then having to rely on your girlfriend to teach you to fight, must have been insulting. His pride had been wounded.  
  
"Are you mad at me Conway?"  
  
The hockey player closed his eyes and leaned his head backwards against the kitchen wall. He realized he'd hurt Kory's feelings and it wasn't her fault she knew how to fight, she was raised deaf, in a military family, by an over protective father. But he was upset and he wasn't going to lie about it either.  
  
"I just wish you'd let me forget about the fact that you have to keep me safe from those orange and purple ass-holes."  
  
Kory nodded.  
  
"Well I don't think you'll need me anymore after today. You beat the hell out of that dummy downstairs." She tried to sound supportive and positive.  
  
Suddenly Charlie sparked back up again and ever cracked a joke.  
  
"Thanks babe, I told you I'm a fast learner, I had a great coach though. Definitely the best looking one I've ever had. Well maybe not as good looking as Bombay."  
  
The light haired girl sighed, men were such simple creatures, insult their egos once you'd think you'd committed a sin, inflate their egos and suddenly all is right with the world. She crossed the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist with a smirk.  
  
"Glad you feel that way, but sweetie, you stink. Why don't you go home and take a shower? Meet me back here and I'll pay to rent some movies and order in Chinese."  
  
The sweat from the work out was starting to settle and having stronger sense then the average person to begin with it was killing Kory's nose. However after narrowly avoiding a disaster seconds before the girl was trying to sound sweet and polite while telling him is funk was engulfing the kitchen.  
  
"You're lucky I live next door, or else you'd be stuck with my rank BO all night." Kissing her cheek Charlie headed for the door. Just as his hand reached the knob it twisted from the other side and Kory's parents entered the house. He grinned sheepishly at her dad and sprinted into the front yard. He climbed the fence separating the two sets of property rather then wasting time going all the way around to use the gate. Kory just brought out the extra energy in him, well that and trying to get away form her father quickly. They had something special. 


	8. 8

The Ducks had taken over the common room in the boy's dorm to watch the first Anaheim Mighty Ducks game of the season. It had taken some coercing from Charlie but eventually Kory had agreed to watch with him, since they were playing the Atlanta Thrashers. Being a Georgia Peach at heart she'd agreed, even though she didn't really understand hockey.  
  
"Hey, their uniforms look just like yours." Kory declared as she maneuvered her way between the bodies of Eden Hall Ducks to sit by Charlie.  
  
Lucky for them she didn't notice as the team snorted, some giggling at her foolishness. It wasn't that they didn't like her per se, it was just they were starting to resent her. Charlie had been spending an increasing amount of time with his handicapped love, and the team was starting to feel neglected. They'd always come first to him, over everything else, even Linda. But somehow the neighbor's daughter held something that kept his thoughts on her at all times.  
  
Kory stepped over Goldberg in an attempt to get to where Charlie was, slipping in the process and landing on the ex-goalie's back. Goldie rolled his eyes and then rolled himself over, sending Kory to the floor with a thud. At that everyone did burst out laughing, even Kory, everyone except Charlie.  
  
"What the hell was that Goldberg?" Charlie shot up off the couch he was sitting on and ran over to his girlfriend's side.  
  
Kory reached out for his hands and pulled herself up.  
  
"It's not that big of a deal Charlie."  
  
"It is to a big deal, that was uncalled for."  
  
"She fell on me!" Goldberg yelped getting up from the floor.  
  
"Yeah, I'm really sure that hurt too." Charlie snapped. "You way five times as much as she does."  
  
All the Ducks stopped laughing instantly, that was low. And why was Charlie yelling is fool head off anyway? Kory was okay and she didn't seem to be upset.  
  
"That was cold Charlie." Averman declared defending his best friend.  
  
Portman nodded.  
  
"He's right dude."  
  
"Of course he's taking her side." Goldie added.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean, huh?" The captain shoved the chubby defensemen.  
  
The room fell silent, nobody daring to open their mouths, mostly because none had the courage to speak their minds. Quickly Kory had placed herself between the two, pleading with her boyfriend to stop. But he wouldn't he just kept at it.  
  
"What are you saying Goldberg?"  
  
Finally soft spoken Julie cleared her throat.  
  
"What he's trying to say Charlie, is what all of us have been trying work up the nerve to say to you. We've all been talking and we've realized something, and that something is that you haven't really been paying much attention to us lately. The Ducks use to be the most important thing to you, now it just seems like it's pulling teeth to get you to acknowledge us. It's like all the only thing that matters to you recently is Kory."  
  
"Is that true, do all of you feel like that?" Charlie looked around searching the faces of his teammates. Kory felt her drop and her stomach knotted, she felt like she'd been punched in the face. She never wanted to cause trouble for her boyfriend and his team. Being in the middle was the last thing in the world she wanted.   
  
Banks nodded somberly at his best friend.  
  
"We do."  
  
"I can't believe you guys are jealous! What am I not allowed to be happy? Banks has Julie and Guy has Connie, but I can't have anyone. Just because Kory's not one of the team you're all copping attitudes!"  
  
While Kory couldn't hear their argument nor read their lips with the speed their angry mouths were flapping, their bitter expressions told her they were fighting over her. Quietly she slipped out of the room undetected and exited the boys the dorm. She was so distracted by the scene she'd just witnessed that she wasn't aware of her surroundings like normal.   
  
Kory tapped in her access number and waited from the light on the lock to come up signaling her the door was open. As soon as it did she entered the foyer and started the climb to her floor. It was on those stairs that she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, before falling back down stairs and everything went dark. She hadn't even noticed gotten a glimpse of who hit her, she didn't even notice they were coming. 


	9. 9

Charlie waited outside of the girls' dorm like he did every morning for Kory, he hadn't gone after her the night before when he noticed her missing, because he was so aggravated with his team he was certain he accidentally snap at her. But now it was only five minutes before home room and still no sight of her. It was strange because she was always early, that just wasn't like her. He knew Connie and Julie had already left the room, he'd seen then leave ten minuets before, so if he went up to their room and knocked on the door there'd be no one to hear him and open it. Wondering if his girlfriend may have been sick he decided to track down one of his female teammates and ask.  
  
Julie was in his first period class and he certainly could've have just waited until then, but Charlie being Charlie had no patience. He pushed his way through the herds of bodies crowding the school corridor, trying to track down one of the girls. Finally he spotted a wisp of long, shiny, brown hair and sped up to catch Connie before she got into her class. He reached out and grasped her shoulder and the girl whirled around surprised.  
  
"Hey Charlie, what's the matter?" Connie bounced her folders in her arms to keep them from slipping.  
  
"Have you seen Kory this morning?" The Captain began. "I waited for her outside the dorms and she never came out."  
  
The girl shook her head.  
  
"That's strange, she wasn't in the room when Jules and I got back last night so we figured she was in the shower and went to bed. When she wasn't there when we woke up we thought she got up early and went somewhere with you."  
  
"I haven't seen her since last night. Maybe she called a taxi and went home. Did you happen to notice if her violin was round?"  
  
"I did, actually I tripped on the case this morning."  
  
"Alright now I'm worried, she wouldn't just leave without taking her violin, it's her life."  
  
"I'm sure she'll be fine Charlie, but look I gotta get to class."  
  
As Connie entered the classroom Charlie started on his route to his locker. He was nervous and worried, but he knew Kory could take care of herself, she'd had little trouble with Portman and Ethan Marlow. That made him feel a little better, that was until he opened his locker and the note fell out.  
  
'Lose the Championship or you'll never get Kory back. Tell no one or you'll never see her again.'  
  
Charlie's blood ran cold, someone had taken her. With lightning speed Charlie raced to office, at first he was going to turn the note into the dean but then he realized it said not to tell anyone. Certain the 'do not tell anyone' meant an authority figure the Captain pulled rank and asked the office supervisor to call the team out of class for an emergency meeting. If the Pirates made the demands that they wouldn't give Kory back without winning, he'd let them win. The boy was scared of what their reaction would be, just the day prior they had fought over if Kory was more important to him then them. And he was positive when they learned he was willing to sacrifice their chance at the Western States Play Offs to get her back, they weren't going to be happy about it.  
  
When Kory opened her eyes all she saw was blackness and instantly her heart began to pound at triple pace. When someone can't hear they rely more on sight to live and without it Kory started to panic. Was she blindfolded, or had that blow to the head caused blindness? More importantly where was she, and who had taken her?  
  
The girl started to feel light headed and dizzy, soon a wave of nausea had taken over, she suddenly began to retch and vomited all over her shirt and the bed she'd awaked on. The sound of the gagging alerting her captors that she had woken up. A door into the room opened at the foot of the bed and it filled with light relieving Kory. She could see, she was in a strange place and being held against her will, but she could see. If she wanted to get out of there she was going to need her sight.  
  
The room they were keeping her in was smaller then the bathroom in an airplane and had no windows, no light other than what was coming through the open door. A door that sealed so tightly it allowed not a drop a daylight in. She watched as the shadow of the person who'd opened the door as it walked across the wall and grew closer, trying to deceiver who it was by their features, she couldn't. Finally she rolled over, tearing her face from the wall she'd been staring at, daring herself to look into the eyes of the animals that had taken her. Her vision was slightly blurred from the blow to the head, but she could see well enough to make out an orange and purple lettermen jacket. On the sleeve of the jacket in white letters was the word Daily, it was Ethan Marlow's right hand man, Tim Daily. She blinked a few times to focus her eyes and soon she see enough to make out what he was saying.  
  
"Oh good you're awake," The boy started. "and you're a mess."  
  
"I'm not feeling very well." She replied sitting up. "Where am I?"  
  
"No where that I'm going to tell you. I will however get you some clothes, what size are you?"  
  
"I'm an eight."  
  
Tim nodded.  
  
"Okay, strip… the bed too I'm get you some clean sheets too."  
  
Kory reached out and grabbed his arm before he left.  
  
"How did I get here and why?"  
  
"Let's just say you have an enemy at school that let us into the dorms and we want to win the Championship game on Friday. Looks like you just picked the wrong people to piss off and date. Bad luck." With that he left the room and Kory was alone again. 


	10. 10

Kory opened her eyes in the darkness again and felt around on the floor near her bed. She'd convinced her captures to allow her some light after explaining about her fear of the dark. Unfortunately all she was given for illumination was a penlight Tim had stolen from his father the Doctor. Even a resourceful, clever girl like Kory wouldn't be able to use that as a weapon. MacGyver himself wouldn't be able to use that light to his benefit or aid in escape.  
  
Her hand found the small white piece of plastic and quickly she picked it up. The tiny beam lit up very little more then the palm of her hand when she turned it on. With a sigh Kory looked at herself and shook her head. The outfit the Pirates had given her to put on was an Aspire Prep cheerleading uniform, to her it felt like the ultimate betrayal.  
  
The door to her room opened and Ethan Marlow stood in the doorway with a cell phone in his hands. He beckoned her with his finger and let her out into a room so bright she could scarcely tell where she was. It was the first ray of natural light she'd seen in days and her pupils shrunk to the size of a head of pin. Her head swum from the light, suddenly feeling dizzy. It over loaded her senses and sent her reeling, Kory almost fell over. She didn't know how she managed to read Ethan's lips when he instructed her to dial Charlie's number, or how she saw the keys on the phone, but she managed.   
  
Charlie paced his room from the fifth time, agitatedly wringing his hands. His face was white and his eyes bounced back and forth in his head like a ping pong ball. The Ducks knew something was wrong, but after ten minutes of patient waiting their captain still hadn't told them what. He'd remained quiet throughout the parade to the room he shared with Banks and Guy, hadn't uttered so much as a syllable. Everyone looked at him worriedly, on the edge of their seats in anticipation for when he'd open his mouth. When Charlie finally did, they were all speechless.  
  
"Kory's, been kidnapped guys, the only way I can get her back is if we let the Pirates win the championship. I know you guys don't really like her and I know how much the banner and trophy mean to you. But I'm begging you, please don't turn me down, make me lose her."  
  
You could've knocked any one of the teens standing in that room over with a feather. Kory, kidnapped? How could that be? Kory Montel was the girl that kept Portman in line and popped Ethan Marlow one in the kisser. She was a brown belt in martial arts and was sharp as a tack. The silence was deafening in the ten by ten room. If you listened hard enough you could hear Charlie's erratic heartbeat pounding in his chest like tribal drums.  
  
Fulton was the first to find his voice.  
  
"Are you sure dude?"  
  
Charlie nodded grimly, handing him the note he'd received.  
  
"I found that in my locker. I can't even tell her parents, because her father would pull some stupid macho something, that'll get her killed."  
  
By the end of that sentence the note had been passed to everyone in the room. All of the Ducks' faces were ashen, eyes wide as saucers and lips tot as a wire. None of them had ever so much as dreamed up that sort of situation. It was beyond anything their young minds could fathom.  
  
"How are we going to do this Charlie? Everyone knows we're better then the Pirates, we beat them every year. Don't you think it would look suspicious if we just lost this year? Someone would know something is up." Ken folded the note and gave it back to the Captain.  
  
"I dunno how we can pull this off Kenny. Jules, are you willing to fake an injury or something? Then Orion will have to put Goldie in, he hasn't been in net for years. That would make it believable if Aspire wins scoring on him." Charlie suggested.  
  
Then Guy spoke up from the secluded corner he'd been sitting in.  
  
"That's a good idea Charlie, but you know Orion, if Catlady says she's sick or hurt coach is going to want proof."  
  
"Yeah, you're right, but I have to think of something. I can't just let them torture her, or worse. Oh god what if they kill her?"  
  
The room went mute again as the congregation of teenagers sat trying to come up with an idea. They couldn't just allow the love of Charlie's life to be held prisoner, no matter how much they resented her. And they couldn't in good consciences sit back and let an innocent girl get hurt, when it was up to them what happened to her. The situation was brittle and the air thick with tension as they sat there, some running through scenes they remembered from their favorite cop drama. But no episode of NYPD Blue could help. Nothing to compare to knowing the life of a girl their own age was in their hands and it hung in the balance.   
  
"Charlie, now I don't know much about this sort of thing, but it seems to me, maybe if we find whoever let the Pirates in, we might be able to find out where Kory is." A soft southern drawl came from the top bunk of the beds.  
  
Strangely Dwayne had actually made sense, that was something that never happened.   
  
Connie agreed.  
  
"You know Cowboy, you have a point. Did Kory have any trouble with anyone around here Charlie?"  
  
Charlie reflected for a minute before declaring.  
  
"Sonya Rhodes. When Kory beat her at band auditions, Sonya told her to watch out."  
  
"We better go have a word with that babe." Portman cracked his knuckles and punched air.  
  
Before anybody had a chance to make it to the door, the telephone in the boys' room rang. Banks was sitting on his own bed, closest to the phone and reached over to pick it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"I'm looking for Charlie Conway." The unfamiliar voice on the other end replied.   
  
However there was a very familiar voice screaming in the background, screaming.  
  
"Charlie, get me out of here please!" It was Kory.  
  
"Charlie," Adam waved at his roommate and held up the phone. "it's them, it's the Pirates. I don't want they're doing to her, but I can hear Kory."  
  
The captain grabbed to phone, without as much as saying 'hi' he demanded fiercely.  
  
"You sick bastards, let her go."  
  
Ethan didn't even bat an eye at that.  
  
"Um let me think, no! I'm the one making the demands here Conway. Now have you given any thought to our offer, for the safe return of this gorgeous creature?"  
  
"Charlieeeeeee!" Kory yelled again.  
  
A lump formed in Charlie's throat, he felt so helpless. Being powerless was a feeling that drove him to the edge of madness. Hearing Kory cry out for him, and knowing he couldn't do anything to help her at the moment nearly crippled him.  
  
"Someone shut her up." The head Pirate barked.  
  
"No! Don't hurt her, okay? I'll do whatever you want, just don't hurt her." The Duck swallowed both his pride and the lump in his throat.  
  
"Alright, here's how it's gonna work. You're going to be in the lead by two though out the first two periods, in third we'll tie it up and will win in over time. See ya at the game." With that he hung up on Charlie. 


	11. 11

Anger surged through Charlie's body as his shaking hands laid the phone to rest on the cradle, he could hardly see straight. Rage, worry, frustration, it was all pent up inside him, swirling like a plastic bag caught in a updraft. His knees wobbled and his heart thumped like he'd just ran a 10K marathon. Just hearing Kory's voice made everything in him more desperate to find her, he felt frantic. She'd sounded so sick and scared, he'd never known her to be either of those things, it was unnerving and for the first time in his life Charlie felt powerless. With blood bubbling in his veins and fury coursing through his body, he charged out of his bedroom door, leaving the rest of the team looking after him.  
  
"You guys, I'm worried about Charlie, I've never seen him like this." Julie declared chewing on the cap from a pen she swiped off of Banks' desk.  
  
Guy nodded."Me either and I've known him since Pampers were fashionable."   
  
"Where do ya'll reckon he went?" Dwayne  
  
"From the way he stormed off, I'd say there's only one place he could've gone…" Averman answered trailing off at the end.  
  
"Sonya Rhodes' room." Luis announced with a shutter, he hoped their captain wouldn't do anything rash.  
  
His knock thundered through the hall as Sonya looked up from the sheet music she was diligently studying. Not only was she an expert violinist, but with Kory around to compete with, she'd taken to teaching herself the cello as well. Her roommate, a petite blonde glanced up from her homework with dark, nervous eyes. Neither had any clue why anyone would be pounding with such ferocity to get into there room, Sonya was scared. Gingerly she set down her instrument and strolled toward the door as the banging got fiercer. She turned the knob and swung the door open, putting her hands on her hips. Before she could get a word out though, Charlie forced his way through the doorway  
  
"Where is she?" He demanded pushing the girl back into the room.  
  
Sonya wheeled backward and fell onto her butt. "Where's who?" She asked in a bewildered tone, blowing her long black bangs from her eyes.  
  
"Kory, where's Kory?" Charlie's jaw was clenched tightly, his face cast in stone and his voice so icy it could have frosted glass. "She's been missing for two days, now where is she?"  
  
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Sonya replied timidly.  
  
"You're a liar!" The boy growled, staring down at her as she slid back across the floor.  
  
"I'm not, I wasn't even here this weekend, I went to visit my family in New York, I just back this morning."  
  
Sonya's roommate nodded. "She's telling the truth Charlie, I picked her up at the airport myself."  
  
A chill ran the length of Charlie's spine as he dropped his right hand in the girl's direction. Sonya flinched and cowered away in fear, the appearance on the Charlie's face terrified her. When she opened her eyes again his hand was still there, hanging in the air, waiting to hoist her to her feet, with an apologetic expression sitting upon his brow.  
  
"I'm… I'm sorry." He exhaled hard, realizing she couldn't have let in the kidnapper, if she wasn't even in the city. Then as swiftly as his emotions had changed from desperation to anger, they changed back again. Suddenly he knew he was no closer to finding Kory as he had been earlier that day and it gutted him. The conclusion was like running into a brick wall and again Charlie lost control of both his body and mind as his legs forced him out of the girls' room. At that point nothing he did was by choice, he was just along of the ride.  
  
Kory opened her eyes in her dark, dank prison and wrinkled her nose at the musty smell. Two days without light, a shower or even food, she was weak. To weak to scream for help, to weak to fight her way free, it was hopeless. Each time the door opened she hoped to see Charlie on the other side, come to rescue her and never it was. The hours seemed to come together and with no day light to lend a indication of night or day, she had no way to tell how long she'd been held captive. Spending hours running through fairy tales in her mind, putting herself in the place of the princess and Charlie her charming prince, her rescuer.  
  
She was still slightly dizzy and her head continued to ach. On closer inspection of the back of her head, she'd discovered a tender bruise and a small cut with hair matted in blood. Wounded, queasy, lonely and petrified she stared up into the pitch blackness, thoughts tumbling around her head like socks in a dryer. Did her parents know she was missing? Was anyone looking for her? Would anyone ever find her? Where was she?  
  
Suddenly the door opened and light flooded in again, stinging her eyes. She clasped them closed and opened them again hoping her pupils would adjust, they did. And once her soft blue eyes focused, she saw her. The person who'd helped the Pirates kidnap her, someone Kory recognized instantly.  
  
"You?" Her voice was to faint to sound accusing, she had no strength. In previous days she could've have throttled the girl, used some ancient martial arts move and knocked the girl out cold and escaped, that day she was useless. The worst of it all, coming face to face with the person that arranged it all made things so clear, she'd never get out alive. 


	12. The End

Charlie stared out of his dorm room window at the dark sky. Rain was pouring from the clouds as if the hand of the god's were dumping it from heaven. Just the site of the gray day made him shiver, it looked bone chillingly cold outside. He wondered where Kory was and if she was warm and protected from the rain, or if she was cold and shaking somewhere, sick and weak. With each day she was gone, his hope in her survival diminished more, but his determination to find her grew greater.  
  
He was alone in his room, Banks and Guy having gone over to watch a movie at Russ and Kenny's. It was so quiet he could almost hear his own thoughts as the rain drops plastered the glass. When a knock came at the door, he nearly jumped out of his skin from fright. Yet he was quick to answer it. Charlie was a relatively smart guy, but never in a million years would he have guessed correctly on what he'd find behind the door.  
  
"I'm sorry Charlie." Was all the sopping wet girl could manage through chattering teeth before she fell forward.  
  
Charlie caught her, shaking her slightly. "Linda, wake up. Linda what happened?" He pulled a blanket from Guy's bed and wrapped it tightly around his exhausted ex.  
  
The girl's eyes fluttered open and she looked at him. "I know where she is." She whispered.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Kory, I know where they have, Kory."  
  
Charlie's jaw immediately dropped, she'd been the accomplice. Linda, the girl he'd dated on again off again since Freshman year. How was that possible? She hated violence, was appalled by it. He shook her again, less gently this time, his voice full of desperation.  
  
"Linda what the fuck? Where is she?"  
  
"I'm sorry Charlie, I just wanted you back. I thought if she was gone, you'd come to me and we could fix things. I didn't want her to get hurt." Linda rambled in his arms.  
  
"Is she hurt?"   
  
"She's so weak, I don't think she's eaten since they took her. So weak and scared. I ran…I ran all the way here. Please, go get her Charlie, I couldn't live with myself if she dies."  
  
Charlie glared down at her, fighting the urge to punch her . "If she dies, you won't have to live with yourself, because I'll kill you with my bare hands. Now get up you're coming with me."  
  
He practically dragged her out of his room and down the hall to Russ's where most of the team was gathered. Normally he would've knocked and waited just in case one of the guys were in there with a girl, but he knew they weren't. Charlie turned the knob with one hand and pulled Linda in with the other.  
  
"Hey Charlie," Fulton looked up from the TV screen "I didn't think you were coming."  
  
"I'm going to get Kory, who's coming with me." The captain ignored the greeting, his eyes filled with fierce determination.  
  
"There's a problem with that Charlie, nobody knows where she is." Averman spoke up from his spot on the floor.  
  
"I do." Linda muttered, looking at her shoes.  
  
Guy nodded. "Okay, let's think this out. How many guards are there, is it going to be dangerous and can we even gain access."  
  
"Probably just Ethan Marlow or Tim Daily probably no more then three or four guys since they have a big game tomorrow, it shouldn't be too bad if we do it now tonight and I have a key."  
  
"So who's coming?" Charlie asked again and a room full of hands raised.  
  
Charlie had chosen just to take those who could be the most useful to him, basically he took the three biggest players on the team. So with the Bashes and Goldberg squashed in the backseat and Linda beside him in the front, he pealed out of the parking lot. The needle rose steadily higher as the rain beat down hard on the windshield. He knew he would probably crash, but all he wanted to do was save Kory, to hold her and kiss her. That was really all that mattered to him.  
  
"Charlie, I'm really sorry." Linda whimpered from the passenger seat.  
  
"Shut up." He snapped, not taking his eyes from the road. "I don't want to hear your voice, unless you're telling me how to get to my girlfriend. That's all I want from you."  
  
When they got to where Kory was being held, Charlie shuttered. It was tool shed behind Aspire Prep's old baseball field. It hadn't been used since they built the knew field, someone obviously had to have connections to get the key. With shaking hands Linda passed him the key, just as the Pirates appeared. Fulton, Portman and Goldberg each grabbed a hold of one and struggled them to the ground as Charlie pushed though the door.  
  
Kory was laying on a dingy mattress with her clothes wrinkled and twisted. Kneeling on the bed next to her, with his hand in her shirt was Ethan Marlow. Kory's eyes were closed, she was barely breathing she was so weak. To tired to even try to fight Ethan off. She'd given up hope that Charlie was going to save her, in that was her only will to live. She'd lost that too, she was willing to let Marlow take her body, it didn't belong to her anymore, she wanted to die.  
  
Then suddenly Ethan's hand wasn't on her breast anymore, his hot sticky breath was no longer on her neck. She opened her eyes and saw Charlie, or a blurred version of what looked sort of like him, standing in the door way, with and a wild look on his face. He collided with the Pirate's leader, catching him across the chest and sending him into the corner. They struggled with each other and Ethan seemed to have the upper hand, he was bigger and stronger then Charlie. But as the Duck caught another glimpse of his sickly, and tortured love he found the force to shove Ethan off him and deliver a quick blow that would finish him opponent.  
  
Kory didn't even have the strength to kiss him or even cry as her boyfriend lifted her from the bed. She was limp in his arms, scarcely moving. Still he could feel her heart beat and see the rhythmic rise of her chest. Outside his friends had faired about the same, Fulton had cracked open his knuckles when the boy he was wrestling dodged a punch and he'd connected with a tree, while Goldberg had a spit lip and knew he'd get one hell of a shiner in the morning. Portman on the other hand was smiling, evidentially Tim Daily was all talk no action, because Dean had laid a beating on him, he'd never forget.   
  
They left Linda there, with her new friends as they rushed Kory to the hospital. Fatigue, malnutrition and dehydration, were a deadly combination and some of the doctors were surprised at how long she'd lasted. She got better bit by bit, slowly her eyes began to focus better and it was easier for her to communicate. Still she was thin and too weak for school, and her parents of course made a fuss and screamed at Charlie for not telling them, then thanked him for saving her. Her brother Nathan even flew out from the air force academy to see her, he'd gone AWOL, but it was worth it.  
  
Charlie was by her side everyday, telling her how sorry he was and how much he loved her. Something that kept him from playing in the championship game. Still he wasn't too disappointed as long as he knew she as alive and safe, he was happy. Kory didn't talk back to him much the first couple days, but he was happy just to lay next to her on the bed and feel her skin. She was so fragile he was scared to kiss her, he'd simply rub her arm or nuzzle her neck.  
  
Then one day he walked in and Kory was sitting up with a bright smile on her face. "Eden Hall Mighty Ducks, state champs!" She proclaimed tossing the sports section of the news paper at him.  
  
Charlie nodded and walked closer to her. She catch his face in her hands and pulled his mouth down to her. "I love you, Charlie Conway."  
  
THE END 


End file.
